Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented Aug. 22, |899.

PowLfL. ACET-Y-LENE GAS GENERATOR;

(Application med Feb. 9, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

TH: Nnnms Pzzns co, PHoToAuTHov. WASHINGTON. n, c.

, -f Patented Aug. z2, |899.

A. Bowen.; ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Applicatiqn mea Feb. 9, 1899.) l

ZSheetsSheet 2t (No Model.)

5MM wwwa Tn: Nonms Pm'cns co. moro-umn., wAsHmcrroN. o. c

`UNITI-31j STATES PATENT FFIC.

ANDREW POVELL, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,666, dated August 22, 1899.

Application led February 9, 1899. VSerial No. 705 .042. (No model.)

T0 all whom it rig/ty concern.'

Be it known that I, 'ANDREW POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to means and devices employed for generating gas by the action of water upon calcium carbid, andi has for itsV object the provision of a simple and eective generator wherein the danger of overcharging with carbid is overcome, the necessity of treating the carbid with oil before supplying to the feeding-receiver is obviated, and wherein the carbid is automatically treated as it is supplied to the generator.

To attain the desired end, my invention consists in certain novel and useful combinations or arrangements of parts and peculiarities of construction and operation, all Yofv which will be hereinafter first fully described.

of any approved material and any convenient or desirable size.

2 is a cap covering a hand-hole at the top of the tank 1, arranged 'for reaching the interior'for the purpose of Icleaning the tank when required. The bottom of the tank 1 is made flaring, as at 3, and isconnected to a valve-shell 4,- arranged to engage with a removable receptacle 5 for'spent carbid, thus providing an easy and effective means of removing such deposit without disturbing the generator and the contents of the tank 1.

Extending upward from a point substantially two-thirds of the way down the side of the tank 1 is a carbid feed pipe or tube 6, said pipe also serving as a holder for oil or other treating fluid. Mounted upon the top with a iiaring hopper 36.

of the tank 1 is a safety-valve 7, the exit or escape pipe 8 thereof leading to any convenient point for the discharge of any waste gas which may be allowed to pass the safetyvalve should the pressure within the generating-tank at any time become too great.

9 is a gage-glass at the side of the tank 1 for-showing the amount of Water therein.

10 is the -outer wall of the gas-holder, and 1l the inner wall.

12 is the bell-shaped movable portion of the holder, having its walls extending downward between the fixed walls 10 and 11, the space between said walls being supplied with water in the usual manner through a filler 14, so arranged as to indicate to the eye the proper height of such water.

13 are guide-rods.

, 15 are guide-rollers mounted upon the top of the bell 12.

16 is a cross-bar connecting the rods 13 at the top.

17 is a gas-pipe passing from the generatingtank 1 to the holder.

18 is a shut-o cock in the pipe 17, and 19 is a drain-cock.

20 is a pipe for supplying gas from the holder Vto burners, as 21.

22 is a drain-cock, and 23 a shut-off cock or valve in the pipe 20.

Hinged at 24 to the top of the carbid-supply tube Gis a cover 25. From this cover extends a rod 26, having a crank 27, to which is pivoted a vertically-operating rod 28. This rod 28 passes through a cylinder 29, mounted upon the gas-holder, and carries a collar 30, a spring 3l being held between said collar and the bottom of the cylinder 29.

32 is a bar xed to the top of the bell 12 of the gas-holder. n

Leading upward from the top of the carbidfeed tube 6 is a chute 33. Fixed in a boxing at the top-of the chute 33 is a spring bolt or latch 34.

35 is a carbid-charge receiver mounted upon the chute 33-and having communication At one side of the chamber or charge-receiver 35 is pivoted a door` 37, arranged to be held in place by the bolt 34 when closed. Passing from this door 37 is a chain 38, which extends over a pulley 39, mounted upon a support 40, fixed to a bai1 IOO 41, secured tothe top of the bell 12 of the gas-holder. The free extremity of the chain 38 bears a weight 42, which for convenience is placed within a guide-tube 43.

44 is a curved arm pivoted upon a bracket 4G, fixed upon the top ot' the generating-tank 1, the inner extremity of said arm being arranged to engage with the spring-bolt 34.

46 is an arm which projects downward from the bar 41, above the pivoted arm 44.

Located in a slideway 47 beneath the hopper 36 is a cut-oit slide 48, extending across the opening in the bottom of the hopper when closed and impinging against a horizontallymovable plate 49, secured to a spring 50, inclosed in a housing 51. Passing from the outer extremity of the slide 48 is a chain 52, which extends over a pulley 53 upon the bar 16, under a pulley 54 upon a bracket projecting from the wall l() of the gas-holder, and to an eye 55 in the movable bell 12.

59 is a lug projecting from the slide 48, to which is connected achain 58, passing over a pulley 60 and bearing a weight 6l at its free end for drawing the slide toa closed position.

Vhen constructed and arranged in accordance with the foregoing description, the operation of my acetylene-gas generator is as follows: Vater 5G is supplied to the tanl; 1 and oil or any other equivalent treating iiuid 57 of less specific gravity than water to the feed-tube G. Carbid is placed within the hopper 36, and after the first charge is supplied tothe generating-chamber the device operates entirely in an automatic manner. As the carbid passes through the oil 57 it is coated with a lm of the oil, and consequently the process of generation of gas as the carbid descends through the water is retarded in the well-known and requisite manner and the treatment of the mass of carbid before placing in the supply-hopper is rendered unnecessary. Vhen in the positions shown in the drawings, a charge of carbid would be within the receiving-chamber 35, the cover 25 would be opened by the pressure of the bar 32 upon the rod 28, and as the bolt 34 would be withdrawn through the medium of the arms 44 and 4G the door 37 would fall, permitting the charge of carbid' to escape and pass down the chute 33 into the tube (5, through the treating Iiuid 57, into the water 56. Gas would be immediately generated, raising the bell 12 of the holder. This movement would release the pressure of the bar upon the rod 28, permitting the spring 31 to act and close the cover 25, preventing any escape of gas from the top of the tube 6. The same upward movement of the bell 12 would release the spring-bolt 34 from the arm 44 and the tightening of the chain 38 would draw up the door 37 until it engaged with the bolt, the weight upon said chain while drawing the door to a closed position permitting the gas-holder to continue its upward movement. Vhen the bell 12 rises suiiiciently to tighten the chain 52, the slide 48 would be drawn outward and the carbid in the hopper would fill the chamber 35. As the gas so generated is withdrawn from the holder the strain upon the chain 52 would be relaxed, the slide being drawn downward and closed through the medium of the chain and weight engaging therewith. If the inner end of t-he slide were permitted to pass through the mass ot' carbid and impingc against a solid wall, particles or lumps of said material would be caught between the edge of the slide andthe rigid wall, preventing a proper and complete cutting oi of the iiow of carbid; but bythe use of the spring-actuated plate 49 this action is rendered impossible, as if particles or lumps of carbid be caught at the end of the slide the plate 49 recedes, allowing the slide to pass entirely home, and when it begins to withdraw the spring-actuated plate pushes any material within the boxing 50 into the hopperA As the bell 12 descends in the process of emptying the chain 38 loosens, and iinally the arms 44 and 4() open the door 37, the cover 25 being also raised, and a charge of carbid passes down the chute to the generating-tank, as before explained. If from any defective operation of the cut-011 mechanism the supply of carbid continues to iiow down the chute 33, the cover 25 being again closed by the generation of gas raising the bell 12 will prevent such excess of-carbid entering the generator, etfectually obviating any possibilit-yof overeharging the generator.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas-generator of the character herein described, the combination of a generating-chamber, a gas-holder having a movable bell, a carbid-supply tube leading into the generating-chamber, a spring closing-cover for the outer end of such tube, means for moving the said cover to open the supplytube when the supply of gas in the holder is reduced, a charge-holding chamber' arranged to deliver into the said supply-tube when its cover is opened, a door which controls the discharge of such charge-chamber, a slide controlling the entrance into the charge-chamber, and means for operating the said door and slide, controlled automatically by the bell ofthe gas-holder, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas-generator of the character described, the combination of the generatingchamber, a carbid supply or feeding tube located on the outside of the generating-chamber, an automatically-closing cover for the mouth of such tube, means for delivering charges of carbid to such tube when its end is uncovered, a gas-holder, and connections between the movable part of such gas-holder and the cover for the mouth of the supplytube, arranged to open the mouth of the tube when the gas-holder is nearly empty, substantially as set forth.

The combination with a generatingchamber and a gas-holder having a movable IOO bell, of a charge-chamber, 35, a door at the l lower or-discharge end of such chamber, a spring-bolt for holding the door closed, means controlled by the movable bell of the gasholder for moving such bolt to releasethe door when the gas-holder is nearly empty, and means controlled by the said bell for positively closing the said door when the gasholder becomes partially filled, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a generatingchamber and a gas-holder having a movable bell, of a charge-chamber, 35, a door at the lower or discharge end of such chamber, a spring-bolt for holding the door closed, means controlled by the movable bell for moving the bolt to release the door when the gas-holder is nearly empty, means controlled by ,the said bell for positively closing the door when the gas-holder becomes partially lilled,and means controlled by the movable bell and arranged to feed material into the said charge-chamber, the said means being timed as described, whereby the door is closed before the charge is fed into the chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a gasgenerator and a gas-holder, ofa charge-chamber, 35, a door which controls the discharge therefrom, a spring-catch for holding the door closed, a chain connected with the door, means for withdrawing the catch to release the door when the gas-holder becomes nearly empty, and means for tightening the chain to close the door as the gas-holder becomes charged, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a gas-generator and gas-holder, of a passage-way through which material is fed to the generating-chamber, a door which controls the discharge through said passage, means for automatically operating said door, controlled by the movements of the gas-holder, a slide contro1- ling the entrance to said passsage-way, and a spring-plate against which the edge of the said slide bears when moved to close the passage-way, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the carbid-hopper 36, of a slide arranged to extend across an opening at the bottom thereof, and a springi actuated plate in the throat of the hopper opa posite to the end of the slide, substantially as and for the uses and purpose shown and described.

8. The combination with a generatingchamber and gas-holder, of a feed passageway through which material passes on its way to the generating-chamber, a slide controlling the entrance thereto, a spring-actuated plate, 49, opposite the edge of the slide, a weight which tends to automatically move the slide toward and against the plate, and means controlled by a movable part of the gas-holder for withdrawing the slide and opening the passage-way, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 7th day of February, 1899.

ANDREW POWELL.

Witnesses:

A. M. PIERCE, CHAs. F. Foce. 

